Welcome Changes
by BreezeInMonochromeNight
Summary: The change started when Pepper stepped away from Stark Industries, as well as Tony Stark himself. It became apparent when quiet, intelligent, withdrawn Elizabeth Riley Andres stepped in as her reluctant replacement. Naturally, she'd clash with a genius-billionaire-playboy turned super hero as she tries to fit into his high profile world. TonyxOC, Pepperony Post-IM2, Pre-Avengers.
1. Awkward Beginnings

**I thought I'd get this up before going to the baseball game...but no such. :(**

** I'm mostly following the movie canon, setting this between Iron Man 2 and leads up to The Avengers, but I'm factoring in the comics as well. I think that makes more sense, personally. That and I find Pepperony more awkward as these movies progress. XD**

**I really wanted to do a backstory to my OC, Riley, from Full Circle. So...I tweaked the old Stereo Love story and came up with this.**

**The beginning pace is a little slow, I have to admit, but it always takes me a bit of time to get things going. I hope you all like it!**

**Also, Full Circle's new chapter is about half done as I post this. ^_^**

**Edit: All errors (hopefully) corrected.**

* * *

If there was one thing that Virginia 'Pepper' Potts did not like dealing with, it was most definitely a 'stubborn to the point of being borderline obnoxious' Tony Stark. Had it not been her boss and friend, though, she wouldn't have.

"You're sure there's nothing I can do to keep you here, Pep?" He did nothing to hide the annoyed tone to his voice.

Pepper glanced lovingly down at the diamond on her ring finger. She had to step back a little, she needed this.

Tony didn't miss that look to her ring, either. And even though he couldn't say anything bad about Happy Hogan, he could still be jealous. It was supposed to be him and Pepper. They had been through so much as a team, and he had really cared about her. Yes, he could be condescending and yes, some of his jokes were a little rude. Well, more like very rude. But, she'd always had an equally witty jab of her own to fire right back at him.

He loved the banter between them. It was what made their relationship special to him. It was what made it worth more than sex to him, whether he fully realized it or not. No other female had tried to keep up with him; they just ended up looking at him with starry eyes. After a few smooth words, he'd have them, and just discard them the next morning.

Those same reasons that had made him love their relationship were what had ended up driving Pepper away from it. Pepper Potts was a strong woman, but she could only take so much. Part of her had hoped he would change once they had begun their relationship, and he'd fit the role of a typical boyfriend.

Needless to say, it never happened.

"I'm positive, Tony." She pleaded for her voice not to waver like it wanted to do. If Tony sensed weakness, he'd move in on it and she'd most likely cave about leaving. "I need time to plan for everything; I need time to just be away from all of..." She paused and made an encompassing motion with her hand "..._this_."

Tony knew the double meaning behind that sentence.

He stood. "But Pep, who's gonna keep me out of trouble?" He tried to make light of it and put on his best pout, crossing his arms. He'd be damned if he let her see that he was actually upset.

He didn't want her to leave. To Tony, if she left, then she really was getting married, and there really was no chance for them. They would really be over.

"It's only temporary, Tony. And I'll still be taking care of business and monitoring everything from home." She glanced at her clipboard, thoughtfully. "Besides, you'll have another assistant to boss you around. I already have a replacement picked out."

Tony rolled his eyes, obviously not thrilled with the idea. "You know they won't last. You're one of a kind."

Pepper mentally sighed. She already knew what Tony had up his sleeve. She hoped the girl she was looking at, one Elizabeth Riley Andres, had a little substance to her and would be able to handle Tony's narcissistic and downright pain-in-the-ass tendencies. Apparently, Dr. Reichmann had taken a shine to her, and Pepper knew first hand how awful he could be to deal with as well. He could give Tony a run for his money in the 'borderline obnoxious' department.

"We'll just have to see, Tony. Now, if you're done, I have things to take care of before my flight."

With that, she turned on her heel and left before Tony could come up with a rebuttal.

The door clicked shut, and Tony was left to sort out his emotions on his own.

...And if there was one thing Tony Stark was not good at, it was dealing with his emotions.

* * *

Riley Andres had spent the last few months working her way up the ladder in her department. Dr. Reichmann had luckily ended up taking a liking to her as well, due to the dedication she showed for all of the projects he had assigned her to.

Her long nights of staying late and going the extra mile had paid off. She was almost constantly exhausted, running on fumes at best most of the time, but she had a solidified herself a position as Dr. Reichmann's right hand so to speak. She was, in short, a glorified personal assistant that accompanied the Ph.D to any and all meetings and kept his affairs straight. It wasn't all bad, though, even with her weariness of people. Riley tended to just keep quiet and do what she was asked to do, whether it be a frivolous task or an important one. In return for her efforts, she had gotten semi-free reign to do her own research in the lab and a nice chunk of change as a raise for all the extra hours she put in.

Riley was an intensely quiet and private person, so spending her life in a lab was not a miserable experience. She didn't mind Dr. Reichmann's temper tantrums, however massive they might be. Nearly none of them were directed at her anymore, and it wasn't like people screaming at her, about herself was anything shocking or new.

All in all, screaming aside, it made her extremely happy that she could also start building a little nest egg and start putting a significant dent in her undergraduate loans. Even with scholarships, Duke had been an incredibly expensive four years for her. It had been worth it, as her undergraduate grades and preparation got her a killer GRE score and, subsequently, an almost full ride for her Master's Degree at UNC Chapel Hill, but it still had burned a hole in her already shallow pockets.

Presently in this department, Riley might not have been the smartest out of all the interns, at least on paper, but she had a knack for hands on work in her superior's lab. She learned quickly and was fast on her feet when trying to find solutions to problems. She was quite good with figuring out how to make things work, and see the processes by which they worked in general. It had been a calming thing for her during her childhood. Not that she liked to recall anything from her childhood...

Pushing the none-too-fond memories away, she went back to her current research. She had been working on a microscopic system that could amplify different physiological processes in the body. The system would be composed of incredibly small and powerful magnets. She had been trying (and failing) to figure out how to keep the power of the magnets without sacrificing size when the clicking of heels behind her drew her out of her reverie.

"Elizabeth Andres?"

Riley inwardly cringed at the use of her first name and turned around. There stood quite possibly the most elegant looking woman she'd ever seen behind her. She practically radiated confidence and grace. Riley easily felt quite plain and dowdy by comparison.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" Riley gave her a nervous smile. She wasn't good with confrontations, and this felt like exactly that.

"I'm Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark's personal assistant. And yes, you can, actually."

Riley's nerves instantly became a little more shaky. She had never actually _seen_ Mr. Stark's assistant, but she had heard the stories surrounding this woman and her cut throat approach to business. She finally forced herself to speak. "Oh! Ms. Potts, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you! I don't really..."

Pepper cut off Riley's rambling apology. "Don't worry about it. And just Pepper is fine, if you don't mind. I'm actually here to make you an offer."

Pepper eyed the girl up and down. Her ID photo did her no justice, and it had been a good photo. That would definitely help occupy Tony, and hopefully keep him from being intolerable, if nothing else.

Pepper was feeling more confident in her choice of a temporary assistant for Tony by the moment, and less like she was just using the girl as a placeholder. Her confidence may have still partially been for the wrong reasons, but it couldn't be shaken.

Riley finally spoke. "If it's all the same to you, could you call me Riley? And what kind of offer are we talking about, exactly?"

"Well, I'm looking for a temporary replacement, as I need to step away from the company for awhile. I have something more...pressing to attend to than all of this." She wiggled her fingers that were currently grasping the clipboard, for effect.

Riley was about to politely say no. She was perfectly happy squirreled away in the lab or following Dr. Reichmann around to small meetings. However, when she saw the subtle hinting to the ring, she clued in quickly. If the sparkle in her eyes and general glow about Ms. Potts didn't give it away, then the sparkler on her finger certainly did. "Oh...oh! I see. Congratulations! I'm sure you and Mr. Stark will be so happy together." That was the last thing Riley had heard about Pepper Potts and Tony Stark and their supposedly steamy relationship. Other than that, she didn't really watch television, nor did she read gossip magazines. She saw no point in prying into someone's personal life like that, just like she'd never want someone to pry into hers.

Everyone had skeletons, after all.

An incredibly awkward silence filled the room. That was enough to tip Riley off that she'd said something wrong. She was about to apologize when Pepper cleared her throat and cut to the chase.

"No, actually. That ended a long time ago. And that's what I'm getting at. I need you to be Mr. Stark's personal assistant in my place while I'm gone."

Riley's face was red from embarrassment. God, could she _be_ any more awkward? And this situation was not helping her feelings any. She wasn't anything like Pepper, which made her fairly certain Tony Stark would eat her alive, fairly quickly.

"I...guess...I guess I can. But I'm sure there's more qualified people than me here. Much more qualified. I mean, I'm not trying to fish for compliments or anything, but...what makes me so special?"

Peppers' eyes cut a look toward Dr. Reichmann, who was currently yelling at interns, one of them almost in tears. "I think you already know. I don't see how you deal with someone like that." True, Tony _was_ a handful, but he had never been quite like that.

"Oh." _So that was why_. "At this point, I don't think anyone could really insult me. I'm used to it." She offered Pepper a small smile.

Pepper looked at the younger woman for a moment. That was odd. She had a feeling Riley wasn't just talking about Dr. Reichmann. The girl acted strangely, and a lot differently than Pepper had expected her to. She was distant, and almost gave off an absent vibe to Pepper.

There was definitely a lot she was hiding beneath the surface, but finding out really wasn't the redhead's primary concern.

* * *

Tony was undeniably bitter and unwelcoming to the entire situation. He was none too thrilled with the blonde standing in front of him currently, looking at everything nervously.

She looked like all the rest - a typical long blonde haired, blue eyed, 'cheerleader' type. She had a slightly tall, slender frame, and he couldn't tell much else about her under her blouse and the looser, flared dress pants she wore. This girl wasn't Pepper, so ultimately she was going to be forgettable, pretty or not. Just another notch in the bedpost, most likely...

"Good morning, Mr. Stark." She offered the greeting kindly, despite her nerves being ready to go to pieces.

It didn't help that she found the man before her incredibly attractive, up close. There was no denying it. His aura all exuded complete confidence and absolute control. On top of that, his genius mind and razor sharp wit was going to be quite a handful for her to deal with.

That was a lot for Riley to admit.

She had only had one crush in high school, and that had ended terribly for her. Since then, she had never even glanced at another person for fear of things going terribly wrong for her. However, it was hard not to notice Mr. Stark in his streamlined (and most likely phenomenally expensive) suit. The sleek, white office made him stand out, in a good way.

Tony had caught the hint of an accent in her voice. It was almost gone, yes, but his keen ears could detect it clearly. Was that a tinge of a southern accent? It was interesting, and it actually surprised him a little. He might just have to do a little digging if the girl lasted more than a week with him; most girls he'd seen (and been with) that looked like Ms. Andres were from the west coast, not the south.

He nodded curtly at the new girl in front of him. "Ms. Andres. Good to see you're here on time. You've got some big shoes to fill."

"I-I realize that sir, and I'm going to do my best to. I'm here to do anything that you need of me."

"Really now?" He made it apparent to her that his eyes were roaming over her figure, unabashedly. "Please, tell me, what does anything entail?" He shot the girl his trademark wolfish grin.

Riley's blushed beet red and took interest in her shoes. "I-I-I...uhm. That's not what..."

That was all it was going to take to get to her? _Really_? Pepper would have already fired an equally sharp retort at him.

If this girl was that shy, though, she was going to be fun to mess with.

But first, he really needed a drink.

And little did he know, Riley needed one even more.

* * *

It was nearing the end of Riley's first week, and things had not gone well for her. She was more exhausted than she had ever been with Dr. Reichmann. Tony's demands had been completely over the top, keeping her on her toes at all hours of the day and night, and she had all intensive beliefs that it had been because of the situation she had been placed in.

His behavior wasn't out of place, though.

She hated to admit it, but she had spent a lot of her free time in the past week looking up articles pertaining to Tony Stark so that she didn't have another mishap like the one with Pepper...Tony more than likely wouldn't be nearly as forgiving as the redhead there.

That being said, she could easily see why Tony wasn't particularly happy with her. He and Pepper had kept a long intimate relationship and an even longer professional one. Riley herself felt like an intruder, so she could only imagine how Tony negatively felt about her and the entire situation.

She tried to reason that his behavior was normal, and that she had it coming. For the most part, she'd knowingly walked into this situation, so she could deal with it. She had been treated a lot worse for a lot less of a good reason, and this shouldn't phase her. Also, it wasn't like she _hadn't_ been humiliated by a guy before. _At least_ some of the smug, snarky comments he made about her were in private. They still stung, but again, the feeling wasn't unfamiliar.

None of his remarks were worth crying over, either. She'd learned growing up that crying over things only made things even worse. She hadn't cried over anything in years, silently taking every punch thrown at her.

Riley sighed. It was just more things to add to the list to deal with during her weekly therapy sessions. Her anxiety and depression had escalated tenfold since she'd begun working for Stark Industries and moved to California, but now she believed she needed her psychiatrist to up her dosages on her medicines. She'd had a panic attack in the shower this very morning and her hyperventilating had almost made her pass out. For God's sake, she knew she was pathetic, but this was getting ridiculous. She was not going to chance this happening in front of Mr. Stark.

She shook the thoughts, and concentrated on the task at hand. Presently, she was bringing her boss his personal favorite, a burger from his favorite fast food joint. She had seen him scarf it down more than once this week, so maybe this would count as a peace offering of sorts.

Riley was hoping since she had complied with everything he'd asked her to do, and once he saw that she was _not_ trying to replace Pepper, that he'd ease up on her, even if just a little. The blonde had tried on more than one occasion, to no avail, to explain that Pepper had _asked_ her to fill in, and that she hadn't expressly competed for this position. She had tried to tell him that she was more than happy in the lab, hiding away from the world.

...She just wished he'd listen, just once.

The entire situation was wishful thinking, but still. She approached his office, and after a hesitance, timidly knocked on the door.

"Mr. Stark?"

"Come in." He didn't sound particularly happy or in a good mood, but at least he hadn't almost barked at her, like earlier.

She made her way in and shut the door with barely a click. She was already on her last stable nerve, and it took her a second to make herself speak.

"I brought food for you. You seemed pretty angry earlier, so I thought I'd try and cheer you up a little." She gave him a small smile, and Tony looked at her strangely. He was angry earlier? He hadn't even been paying attention to what he'd said to her.

He took the bag out of her had, glancing inside. She had gotten it right, from the looks of it.

The sight and smell of a burger and greasy fries caused him to grin, genuinely grin at her. This had not been expected.

"Hey! This is all right." He could see her visibly relax, the tension leaving her shoulders and back.

...Did he really have that kind of effect on her?

If he was was _intentionally_ going to make a woman tense up like that, it was going to be in his bedroom, not like this. Tony was never one to push aside his less-than-honorable thoughts, after all.

"Oh good, I'm glad, sir." She glanced away from him at the pause. He was too hard to look at for too long without blushing. "I'll...I'll just excuse myself, if you don't mind."

He simply nodded, and she turned on her heel to leave, as quietly as she came.

"You know, you're not as dumb as you look." Tony mumbled without thinking, perhaps a little too loudly, toward her retreating back.

He could have sworn he saw her back stiffen a little, but he didn't think he said it that loudly.

Normally that comment wouldn't have bothered her in the slightest, but coming from Anthony Edward Stark, her time and hard-earned money spent on her education felt just a little like it had been completely wasted.

And _that_ actually hurt.

She quickly made her way out of the office and went to sit in Mr. Stark's personal break lounge.

Maybe closing her eyes for a few minutes would make her feel a little less...sensitive. She hadn't slept but three or four hours last night.

_This was going to be a long couple of months._

* * *

**Hope you all like it, and hope to hear from you!**

**I promise these will get shorter if I continue!**

**'Till next time (hopefully),**

**xBreeze**


	2. Miscommunication

**I'm finally done with summer school and over the hump with moving! So I'm back into updating mode!**

**Thanks to aaroniteXkryptonite, Bananafishbones, Marskatr, Madness is me, Mrs Malfoy Beiber Sohma, kristendotcom, Vilentiel, Alerix Slynn, YouOnlyLiveOnceSoBecomeACat****, RJ North, AkatsukiLeader, orderofphoenix, and the guest for reviewing! I seriously wish I could hug you all! You're wonderful!**

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* * *

As the first few weeks passed, nothing really changed between the billionaire and his new assistant. The snarky comments from Tony did not subside, and no matter what was said, the girl did not get angry or try to defend herself.

Currently, Tony sat in his private workshop-slash-lab in his Malibu mansion at some ridiculously late hour of the night, more distracted by musings of this one girl and her eccentricities than the hot rod he intended to tune up.

He had to admit the young woman took everything he had thrown her way, from the comments to the extreme demands to keeping up with the bizarre hours he kept, never saying a word.

She was good, almost _too_ good. And he was being a diva, as Pepper had so kindly put it when she politely chewed him out for the way he'd been acting.

She had eyes everywhere, it seemed.

But It wasn't his fault that he was a high maintenance insomniac.

Not _completely_ his fault, anyway.

The idea of 'testing' her had been entertaining at first, and it had made _him_ feel a little better initially, but now he was honestly beginning to wonder if she was human at all.

And on top of all that, she did everything asked of her to perfection. Just like Pepper used to, but with no protests or polite reality checks that red head had not minded dishing out. She'd only give him a half whispered_ 'yes, sir'_ and do whatever she was asked.

He had even been entertaining the thought of seducing her and checking for a motherboard, more than once. The idea made him laugh.

Tony was beginning to get annoyed, though. If Ms. Andres wouldn't fire back any kind of retort at him, then he looked like a bad guy pushing some poor, green young woman around.

And Tony Stark was _not_ going to be labeled the bad guy.

Not anymore.

There was also the potential threat of her going to the press and painting a particularly nasty portrait of him. The media didn't even know of Pepper's departure, albeit temporary.

None of that was the best thing for tabloids to catch on to right now. Not with just recently shutting down the weapons division in the past few years and the wild press around his endeavors as Iron Man**.**

All-in-all, Tony just liked pushing buttons. It was what he was _known_ for.

...Well, one thing he was known for. The genius was known for a lot of things, both good and not-so-good.

The blonde in question did have him curious, however. Highly curious. For such a cute girl (he wasn't about to say hot, he hadn't seen enough of her to judge), she certainly wasn't friendly or outgoing. He'd never seen her outside of the few hours they spent together in the office each day, and he'd never seen her talk to anyone outside of a work setting. Needless to say her borderline scary-calm, withdrawn demeanor had definitely piqued his interest past just trying to push her buttons.

...And a curious Tony was not the best Tony to have to deal with.

It felt as if there was a barrier around her and that no one could breach it. For God's sake, he had yet to get her to even say two sentences about herself.

He was starting to think of getting her to open up to him as a challenge.

Sure, he was a bit drunk and this probably wasn't the best idea, but Anthony Edward Stark did enjoy a challenge.

Now, where was that damn phone?

"Hey JARVIS!"

_'You called, Sir?'_ His AI's response time was immediate, as per usual. He smirked.

"Where did I put my phone?"

* * *

Riley awoke bright and early, a solid half hour before her alarm clock even went off. It had been another mostly sleepless night for the blonde, rife with nightmares, and she saw no point in trying to go doze of again for such a short time. She didn't need to feel anymore groggy and useless than normal.

Still laying in bed, the blonde rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms and legs, back arching off the bed. Riley always liked to be limber. She had spent quite a large chunk of her life as a ballerina, albeit unwillingly. She had her mom to thank for that.

Oh well, it was best not to think about that. Not now.

There were much more pressing matters to tend to than her own baggage.

Slipping on her glasses, Riley glanced over at her phone, a sleek holographic touch screen of Mr. Stark's design. She definitely needed to check that. With no one around, she decided to try her special 'trick'; something she'd been able to do for comfort during her worst hours as a child.

Something that had gotten her labeled as a freak and even a witch on occasion...mainly by her own parent.

She grunted in annoyance at the thought.

Extending her arm toward the phone and curling her fingers slightly, she silently commanded the phone into her palm.

The small device slowly began to move off of the nightstand towards her, and she smirked slightly, pleased at her little talent - the _one_ thing she felt she could do right.

Her tiny moment of self-satisfaction was quickly ruined, however. As soon as the phone slid to the edge of the table, it fell in between the table and the bed to the floor, making her wince.

"Fuck." She could hear the disappointment lacing her words in the quiet apartment.

She leaned over the side of the bed to retrieve the device, and her eyebrows raised when she noticed the flashing indicator going off on it. Had she slept through a call? She was a pretty light sleeper, so the ringer should have woken her up.

Unless...

She snatched the cell up off of the floor, and scrolled through it to the settings. Riley paled slightly when she noticed the phone was on silent. She'd only intended to mute the phone long enough late last night to get rid of her headache, uninterrupted, but she must have forgotten to reverse the settings later.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Even more concerning was the fact that there was no missed call, but a single text message in the inbox.

She swallowed hard, wondering who in the hell would send her a text so late at night? Better yet, who'd be texting her at all?

She had a sinking feeling...

The young woman closed her eyes and bit her lip, pressing the symbol to open her text messages and silently hoping that it'd be a just a quick checkup from Pepper. But alas, she opened her eyes and her stomach turned at the unread message from _'T. Stark_' glaring up at her.

However, she was expecting it to be a request for something like late night confections from Randy's Donuts (for the second time this week...how in the world was he in that good of shape?) to nurse a hangover.

What surprised her though, was a one word text from the billionaire, playboy, super hero.

A simple question of:_ 'Awake?'_

...What the hell?

Riley was promptly shell-shocked, not knowing what to do or say. She had no clue how to handle something like this. She'd much rather have had a bunch of missed calls that threatened her job, like Dr. Reichmann used to do when she first began working for Stark Industries.

She _was_ phenomenal in the art of damage control, after all.

She had so many people to thank for that talent.

After the moment of shock-horror passed, she quickly tapped out a message to her new boss, apologizing for missing his message and stating that she'd had a raging headache. The blonde hit send and scurried off to shower and prepare for the day, hoping she wouldn't come in to face a pink slip signed by Mr. Stark himself.

Her day would not start off so smoothly, however. Had Riley bothered to look at the text she sent, she'd have seen that she had a 'raging hangover'.

Autocorrect would not be her friend this day.

* * *

Hurrying into the building with the aforementioned donuts as an attempt at a peace offering, barely on time, Riley moved like lightning up to Mr. Stark's office.

Well, as fast as she could manage.

Riley didn't normally wear pumps. She wasn't really one to dress so with such femininity either, but she figured it might play to her advantage, even if only a little. Truthfully, the blonde had never found herself to be a thing of beauty. She just knew she was at least decently in shape from dancing, and being a little prettied up seemed to work to lessen the blow when she was about to take heat from any of her former bosses.

It was a cheap tactic, but desperate times and all that jazz.

Riley was demure and submissive as a reflex that had quite literally been beaten in, but she wasn't stupid.

Making it to the door of the CEO's office, Riley sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, silently praying for the day to go at least somewhat smoothly

* * *

Tony was leaning against his desk, dressed as sharply a usual and enjoying his mid-morning cocktail when he heard the light knock on the door. He called for the person to come in, knowing it'd be Ms. Andres.

Just the person he'd been waiting on.

"Mr. Stark, I am so, _so_ sorry. I should have been more alert than that." She looked nervous. Definitely more animated than usual, at least.

It was nice, regardless of the circumstances. She seemed alive with some emotion in her voice.

Tony wouldn't be Tony if the first thing he noticed about his assistant _wasn't_ her change in attire as she shrugged off her long jacket. From his current position leaning against the desk, he had a lovely view of the figure that her almost knee-length black dress hugged so well.

And God _damn_, did she have a figure.

She had just enough chest and hips to break up the slenderness of her frame, though her breasts were a little smaller than he normally preferred. And maybe it was just the shoes, but her legs looked to be about eight miles long in Tony's opinion and perfect for throwing over his shoulders.

Yes, he went there, and he'd be damn happy to oblige if she was willing and dressed like that.

"Not a problem." He took a sip from his drink, wondering what she'd look look like with her hair down and her glasses off.

And naked.

Definitely naked.

"What's that?" He was sure he knew the box, but not the reason behind it. With the way he'd been acting, and the way she was dressed, there was a high chance she could pull a Black Widow and poison him.

Or something.

"My apology for last night." Her voice was low and she wasn't making direct eye contact, although she knew Tony was boring holes into her.

She brought the box over and he beamed upon seeing the Randy's logo (he was correct, as always), ignoring her last thing she said.

"The perfect cure for our hangovers!" He slung an arm over her shoulders, a little annoyed when he realized that she tensed on contact.

If the closeness and _lack_ of dismissive attitude for her didn't unsettle Riley, the hangover comment definitely did.

She frowned. "Er...I don't... I'm not hungover."

Tony raised a brow. "Not what you said this morning..." He spoke in a sing-song manner, pulling out his phone and pulling her closer.

When Riley laid eyes on the incriminating text message, she automatically smacked her palm against her face.

Wiping her eyes from under her glasses, she groaned in annoyance.

"Oh, fuck me." The words came out as a barely-audible mumble, but due to their close proximity, Tony still heard them clearly.

Tony couldn't hide the wicked grin on his face. "Now that sounds like a plan, Ms. Andres." He practically purred into her ear. "If you'd like to get out of here..."

"I didn't...mean it like _that_...Mr. Stark." She was scarlet. What was wrong with her today?

He sighed. "You're no fun, you know that?"

The blonde gave him a small, sad smile. "Not really in my job description, sir. I'm just the temp."

He looked at her dully, before pouring a pair of drinks and handing Riley one. "Since you ruined the brilliant quip I had planned out, humor me."

She did.

* * *

The pair were in surprisingly companionable silence sitting on top Tony's desk, with Riley picking at the sprinkles on her second donut and Tony wolfing down his third. She was thankful for the drink as well. The brandy calmed her nerves and went down smoothly, even though mixing alcohol with her medication did make her a little light-headed.

The blonde sighed, not wanting to change the feeling in the room, but she needed an answer to calm her mind.

"So, to be sure, I'm not getting pink slipped today, sir?"

Tony turned at looked at her with an expression that just screamed_ 'are you serious?'_ and swallowed his mouthful of confection.

"Ms. Andres, this is the best morning I've had in quite some time, and I have a lot of good mornings. You're _fine_." Her logic baffled him, but he wouldn't press it. He had pulled her out from behind those walls of hers, and he wasn't going to send her running just yet. But who got _that_ worked up over a simple text message?

He had lost out more than her on that one.

"Ah. Thank you, I appreciate it. It won't happen again." She smiled at him, genuinely, and actually made eye contact with him. She averted her eyes after a few seconds, as his ever-twinkling, mischievous brown eyes threatened to make her blush again.

"You know, you don't have to be so uptight. Bad for your heart...I'd know." He wasn't sure why he felt so compelled show her, but he loosened his tie slightly with one hand.

Riley's eyes widened at the soft blue glow of the arc reactor. "So Iron Man's core...the reactor...it's _part_ of you? Fascinating. I'd only read journal articles and speculation papers...but that's amazing. A medical marvel, even!" She couldn't stop rambling. This was right in her field of expertise, and seeing something she based part of her own work on from the inventor himself, she couldn't help but feel just a bit giddy.

And not just because of the drink.

Tony was a little taken aback by her enthusiasm. He had been fairly sure she'd be just another airhead secretary, so her knowledgable little outburst had come as a genuine surprise.

He really needed to get JARVIS to pull her records as soon as he had some alone time.

"Whoah there, blondie! Don't burst one of those few brain cells over it." Sure, the blonde jokes were dated, but he really did like messing with her.

The more he looked at her rapidly falling mood, however, the more he was sure he had put his foot in his mouth...

Again.

Riley was instantly ashamed of her outburst. She hadn't really ever had anyone to talk to, especially not a colleague of sorts, and it felt nice not to be trapped in her own mind for once. She regretted it now, making a mental note right then to adopt more of a 'rarely seen and definitely not heard' methodology with her boss.

Glancing down, she focused on her shoes and tried to ignore her churning stomach and the embarrassed heat on the back of her neck. Clasping her hands together in her lap, she fumbled through a response. "I...I'm sorry, sir, I'll work on that."

Tony looked toward the girl, almost concerned. She really was easy to knock down, and once again there was no anger or bitterness at what he said. She simply rolled with it.

Something was off about her, and he didn't like it.

Not a bit.

The woman in question was the one to jar him out of his thoughts before he could fall in too deep. "You have a meeting at noon with R&D."

"...Perfect." The billionaire rolled his eyes.

"I can try and reschedule if you'd prefer." She couldn't be serious. Pepper had already rescheduled that meeting five times in two weeks. They'd be out for blood, possibly hers, if it happened again.

He decided to give Riley a break. "Nah. I'll just give them a show."

_Or a lack of one_, he added on silently.

He stood and straightened his tie and unclipped his sunglasses from his pocket, donning them.

In one more swift motion as he started to leave, he swiped another donut out of the box and kissed his assistant on he cheek, close to her ear.

Riley instantly blushed at the feel of the hairs of his immaculate goatee tickling her. Said blush intensified thousandfold when she felt his teeth as he smiled against her skin.

"Let's do this again." He murmured it into her ear before walking out an shutting the door.

Riley barely caught what he said due to the blood pounding in her ears. She turned and leaned against the desk again, trying to process what just happened. She'd never been so much as hugged by a male (or anyone, really), let alone gotten any sort of kiss.

Needless to say, the contact sent her dulled senses into overdrive, senses she didn't even know she had anymore, and none of it really had any logical explanation.

"I think I'd rather have been fired." She spoke to no one in particular, staring into space.

* * *

**I hope you like it! Reviews inspire me, so I'd love to hear from you!**

**Check out my other work, too!**

**xBreeze**


	3. Misunderstanding

I've made minor tweaks to the first two chapters, but it's nothing major.

I hope you guys enjoy this (if there's anyone left, that is!), I know you've waited long enough.

Special thanks to Indigo Dragon Productions, Mandie, Mademoiselle Diablerie, RJ North , blown-transistor, Alerix Slynn, kristendotcom, aaroniteXkryptonite, ren-hatake, 666AnimeFan666, and the guest for reviewing!

* * *

"Wake up JARVIS, Daddy's home."

The lights to Tony's lab in his Malibu home instantly flickered to life, causing the genius' lips to quirk into a smile.

"_Welcome home, sir. I assume the charity ball went well?_"

Yes, even Tony was impressed by his own handiwork at times. His AI had become more of a constant companion of sorts than just a program.

"Well enough, but you know how_ bored_ I get at these things...what with the good behavior and all." Tony was giving his best impersonation of a spoiled child to no one in particular, waving his hand in dismissal at the thought of the event.

_It wasn't too far from the truth._

In reality, he'd been irked the entire night of the function.

JARVIS had apparently caught onto his mood as well. "_Is there something more you would like to add, sir?_"

Tony bit the inside of his cheek slightly, suddenly wondering if the AI had been programmed to be just a little_ too_ insightful. But alas, he wasn't going to try and hide anything from his AI.

"_She_ was there." Tony spat the words out, trying to hide the bitterness that was ruining his evening. He found himself having to take a rather strong shot of liquor before being able to voice the rest of his thoughts, though. "It's so hard to see her so..._so happy_...without me."

Pepper just reappearing for public appearances sake bothered him much more than he'd ever admit. He'd had no idea that she was going to she was going to be there tonight, and seeing her had taken the wind out of his sails.

...But, the redhead had looked more stunning than ever in her emerald green, strapless gown. Then again, Tony had always considered to be a striking woman with a beauty all her own.

Regardless, just her being there had shot his game all to hell. He'd found himself frequenting the open bar and half-heartedly flirting with the busty bartender to escape her suffocating presence.

"But you have to admit, sir, Mr. Hogan is a good person for Ms. Potts."

Tony gave a grunt in annoyance at his AI, tossing his suit jacket haphazardly on the sofa and undoing his bow tie in one swift motion.

As much as he hated to admit it, his JARVIS was right.

Tony flopped down on to the sofa, crumpling the Armani jacket like tissue paper, and sighed heavily.

"I know...I just wish they weren't."

Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan were perfect for each other, though. Happy's laid-back and friendly demeanor balanced out Pepper's ever-stressed and high maintenance personality perfectly. But even if they weren't, he didn't have the heart to try and break them up in an attempt to win Pepper back. Happy had been a long time friend as well, loyal and willing to put his neck on the line for Tony. He'd been one of the few people that the billionaire could always trust.

Tony's ties to the couple put him in an awkward place, stuck somewhere between loss and longing with little bits of anger and jealousy mixed in. He really had no solid way of handling the situation without upsetting one or the other of the parties involved.

In all honestly, Tony really just needed something to take his mind off of both of them, to take the edge off of his entire predicament. To forget about them.

...Even if just for a little while.

The billionaire had even considered texting his new assistant again, but quickly snorted at the very idea of it. Texting her had been a disaster last time, and he didn't really feel like dealing with a repeat incident.

Besides, the Ms. Andres was too quiet; too much of a wallflower for his tastes. He did enjoy the one quiet morning they'd shared, though. It had genuinely brightened his day, even if it had been accidental.

The whole situation with Ms. Andres was a shame, at least for him. She had a body for days and a cute face to boot. Tony wouldn't have minded getting to know her better, at the very least least in the physical sense. But, the situation with the young woman was proving to be more and more of a hopeless one by the minute.

Speaking of Ms. Andres, though, where had she been tonight? Tony had been so absorbed by Pepper's random 'for show' appearance that he hadn't even bothered to look for the meek, tall blonde. Had she even been there at all?

He assumed she would have been.

No matter.

The genius ended up covering his eyes with his arm, trying to will the image of dancing, emerald goddesses out of his mind...

...And concentrate on the busty, bartending distraction that would be at his door any minute.

* * *

_The next day_

Riley made her way to Ms. Pott's office, a little eager to speak to the businesswoman. Her weekend had been quite empty, with nothing Tony-related on her plate to deal with and nothing to do in the lab. She was supposed to have gone to a charity dinner with Tony initially, but Pepper had decided things would be better if she stayed behind.

She knew that the media did not know Pepper wasn't at Stark Industries right now, and did not blame the redhead for telling her to keep mum and fall back on everything.

Honestly, being told not to go had been a relief to the blonde more than anything. Riley hated crowds and had a feeling that she'd have made an ass out of herself somehow, some way.

Not only that, but Riley was fairly sure she didn't really have the face or the personality for that type of publicity.

Other than that event, though, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Tony had been shockingly low-profile all weekend. He hadn't sent her on any donut runs, errands for his 'lady friends' or blown anything up, so she assumed that was as "normal" as normal could be with him.

The blonde figured it wasn't such a bad thing. It was still hard for her to face her boss after that kiss on the cheek, and she still didn't know how to feel about it. Riley couldn't help liking the feeling it caused - like all of her nerves were on fire and that she was alive - but the intense embarrassment and shame she felt afterwards completely overrode everything else.

Aside from Tony and his antics, Dr. Reichmann had also been totally quiet for the past few days. He'd barred her (and everyone) from the R&D lab while he was out of town. She assumed it was just part of his control-freak tendencies. Regardless, the blonde was just happy to be away from her second boss' hair-trigger temper.

All things said and done, the blonde did found herself incredibly lonely with just her thoughts and nothing to keep herself busy. Her family was absent, to put it lightly. She had no real friends to speak of, and had always found herself a bit too shy and modest to go out into the party scene this city had to offer.

Sleep had not been an option either. While her medication helped give her some semblance of peace, the down time did not. Her thoughts tended to run wild and back the past when she had time to think, which typically led to the violent night terrors. That vicious cycle had been going as far as she could remember, especially since she discovered her little "talent" of sorts.

So yes, long story short, Riley was definitely ready to talk to someone. And Pepper was always at least somewhat pleasant.

Intimidating, but pleasant.

Riley had actually began to enjoy the video chats they had concerning what the young temp needed to do concerning Tony Stark.

It was nice not to be alone all the time, even if it was only for her job.

The blonde shook the thoughts and knocked on the door, getting called in almost immediately. However, once Riley entered Pepper's office, her hopes of a good conversation were instantly turned into wishful thinking by the annoyed expression on the redhead's face.

"Er...Hello, Ms. Potts?" Pepper made no move to correct the blonde this time. Instead, her glossy lips fell into a frown.

"Riley...sit, please. I don't have long and really have time for pleasantries."

Riley's mouth felt dry, and she was positive this wasn't going to go over well. "Yes ma'am." Sinking into the closest chair and sitting ramrod straight, the blonde's eyes flitted around the room, not really wanting to look at Pepper anymore.

The redhead wasted no time getting to the point. "Would you please care to explain to me why Mr. Stark missed the department meeting with Research and Development on Friday? The one that I _personally_ scheduled and rescheduled for him a month in advance?"

Riley felt positively sick at that moment. She had been sure Tony had went to that meeting.

Tony had said he was going to that meeting before he kissed her on the cheek.

Had it been a set up to get rid of her? Had Tony been toying with her the entire time?

The CEO had openly joked about how low on intelligence she was more than once, and she was starting to believe it even more.

The temporary assistant swallowed thickly, balling her hands up in her lap, wondering just how temporary her position was going to be as the fiery redhead went into a spectacular tangent about bad business and management.

In that moment, Riley sincerely wished she could just disappear from the gaze of the angry, beautiful redhead in front of her.

* * *

At this point, Tony wasn't sure if Pepper had hired a personal assistant or a second shadow for him.

Ms. Andres had essentially followed him around all day, waiting on him practically hand and foot and acting much more anxious and tense than usual. The mousy blonde usually made an effort to stay out of his line of sight unless needed. He'd taken notice of her habits on more than one occasion. He wasn't stupid, and Ms. Andres wasn't very subtle about it. Given her normal habits, today's situation was especially...interesting.

And it was starting to irk him, especially considering his lack of sleep and hangover. Ms. Andres was not his servant nor his slave, and he intended to let her know that. He was actually beginning to suspect the blonde was being paid to get close and gather information on him for story, probably a smear article. His new assistant had the personality for that. She came across as so shy and timid and well-intentioned, she'd be an easy person to trust and open up to.

And that was a lot, coming Anthony Edward Stark.

It was partly paranoia, yes, but Tony still found it to be a pretty reasonable scenario. Journalists were not above extremely low tactics to get near him, and the past had proven that. He could also recall a certain _Vanity Fair_ journalist that wouldn't be beneath stooping so low to get dirt on him.

Following the blonde into the elevator (and not neglecting to catch glimpse of her backside...she was still female after all), the doors barely closed when Tony decided to address the elephant in the room.

"Care to explain what's going on with you today?" The CEO crossed his arms and looked at his assistant expectantly. He didn't care to try and hide the annoyance in his voice.

Riley visibly swallowed and gripped her satchel tighter. "My...my job is to assist you in any way possible...personal or public, with whatever you need."

The damn-near automated from her response only served to annoy Tony further. He let out a sigh he didn't know he'd been holding and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're serious, aren't you." He couldn't even attempt to mask that as a question.

At that moment, Tony was willing to bet JARVIS was more human than this girl.

Riley caught the subtle move of his hand to his face and her body tensed, nerves instantly on end. Her step-father used to do that when he... but surely her boss wouldn't.

...Right?

Riley kept her gaze toward the door, not wanting to chance another glance over at Tony. She silently pleaded for the doors to open soon, with all of her efforts going into controlling her breathing and trying to appear as small as possible.

The feat was much easier said than done.

With as steady a voice as she could manage, she spoke. "I...I was just doing what I thought was asked of me. I apologize if it wasn't to your liking."

The wavering in her voice was fairly obvious. However, if Tony hadn't been as naturally observant as he was, he'd have missed the subtle defensive changes in both her posture and demeanor.

_...Like she was just waiting for something bad to happen to her. _

Tony's brows rose at the changes Ms. Andres was showing, forgetting about the point he was trying to make almost entirely.

This was _all_ wrong.

This was _not_ how he'd envisioned this encounter.

He had assumed that Ms. Andres wasn't too fond of him (which more than likely Pepper had a hand in), but this was ridiculous. He'd also assumed that any dislike was just a big misunderstanding stemming from a combination of those reasons; reasons that could easily be sorted out in conversation.

He was even willing to admit that they'd gotten off on the wrong foot, with himself being bitter and almost cruel toward the blonde when she'd started.

But this fearful act? It was actually starting to wound his ego.

And no one was allowed to do that. Not Pepper, not anyone.

Tony let out an exasperated sigh, tired of the entire situation and wanting some answers. In one swift movement, the CEO hit the emergency stop switch in the elevator to give them some privacy, much to Riley's chagrin. The assistant felt the air getting thinner by the minute and breathing becoming harder.

The CEO crossed his arms, locking eyes through the darkness. "Let me be more frank. I'm getting really tired of this little game that you seem to enjoy playing with me, Ms. Andres, so I'll get straight to the point. I want to know what your problem with me is, and what Pepper has told you about me." His voice was smooth and easy to listen to, but the very apparent edge in his tone was enough to tell her he was not joking.

Riley's eyes widened considerably, not sure how to answer her boss at all. Realizing just how close he'd gotten, the blonde took a cautious step back. Her heart was racing and pounding against her ears, words becoming harder and harder to form by the minute. The panic was causing a thick fog in her brain and she began to completely shut down, preparing for the worst.

Confrontations like this had always hurt less in the past when she did.

"P-p-pepper n-never sp-spoke badly about you t-to me, s-sir. Sh-she wouldn't." The stuttering and stammering in the blonde's voice was bordering on uncontrollable.

In one small step he moved closer to the blonde, frowning at her reaction. With a much gentler tone he, spoke again. "Then please do explain where this 'walking on eggshells' mentality you have around me came from, because it's getting really old, really fast."

Riley, out of natural reflex, stepped back again, backing herself into a corner of the lift. The fairly hard connection of her back to the wall made her wince in pain. The fact that she was out of room to get away only served to increase her panic exponentially as well.

Deciding that making herself non-confrontational as possible was her last hope of avoiding any sort of further incident, Riley wrapped her arms around her bag and herself, bowed her head, and permanently fixed her gaze on the floor. This was worse than anything she had been through with Dr. Reichmann.

"I-I-I'm s-so sorry, s-sir." Riley found herself unable to get out much more than an apology. She'd never been good with words, especially not in these situations. She'd just rather him get it over with already.

Tony stood there baffled, unsure of how to handle the shaking blonde in front of him. He instantly softened toward the frightened woman, chocolate eyes looking down at her petite form. He slowly brought his hands up to her shoulders, anger dissipating quickly.

"Ms. Andres." He spoke softly. "It's okay. Look at me."

The blonde flinched at the contact and just how her close her boss was. He was so close that she could feel his warm, sweet breath on her face. When she hesitated, though, Tony found himself using a hand to tilt her chin up towards him.

Riley looked up into the surprisingly calm, dark eyes of her boss. His countenance confused her, as she'd expected a much more severe look to be marring his handsome face at this point.

Maybe this was a trick?

Tony's spoke slowly, with all the harshness gone from his voice. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted some privacy to clear the air between us. I don't get a lot of it, so why not here?" He smiled, hoping to ease the blonde's nerves. She was still on guard, and it wasn't helping his cause at all.

"I-I...M-Mr. Stark...I-" Riley began to stumble through some sort of response, but Tony cut her off.

"Tony." His voice was gentle, but firm.

Riley bit her bottom lip, confusion clear. "Excuse m-me?"

"My name is Tony. Just Tony. I don't care for the formality." He flashed his perfect teeth once more when Riley nodded slowly.

_Anything to get away._

"Y-yes sir."

Tony's head fell in defeat. He wasn't going to get through to her, not now. He took a step back, flipping the emergency stop switch, and casually tucked his hands in his suit's pants pockets. Ms. Andres made a slow move to get closer to the doors, ready to get out and away from he CEO as soon as possible. She felt sick, and needed a moment alone to recompose herself if she was going to make it through the rest of the day.

However, the billionaire found himself getting off first on the floor his office was on. As he made to leave, though, he spontaneously placed a quick kiss on the young woman's cheek again. As odd as it seemed, this was the billionaire's way of apologizing, even if he couldn't force himself to form the words.

He left with an single glance back at the blonde; an unreadable expression followed by a nod toward her as he turned the corner.

_...What the fuck just happened back there_?

Tony needed to sort things out, before he gave the poor girl a nervous break down.

* * *

Riley sped down the hall of whatever floor she had stepped out on, looking for the closest restroom available. Her head was pounding and the world was spinning out of control. Luckily she found what she was looking for in a fairly empty area, quickly entering and ducking into a stall.

As soon as she locked the latch, the blonde found herself sliding down to the floor, chest heaving violently and eyes watering heavily. Riley's entire body felt heavy and she knew that she had to act quickly if she didn't want to pass out. Opening her bag with a very shaky hand, the young woman fished a paper bag out of a side pocket.

This particular scenario was entirely too familiar to the blonde. She immediately began to breathe shakily into the bag, trying to will herself to calm down in the process.

The old trick did seem to be working, though, as Riley's chest began to hurt less after a few minutes. The dizzy feeling was starting to subside. Tears of relief started to slip as she blinked, and the blonde slowly reclined her aching back against the stall wall.

_This was like high school all over again._

However, instead of Adam Cassidy from the track team, this time she had someone a little more important to contend with.

Yes, this time, she had to deal with her boss, who just happened to be a billionaire superhero...

...who just happened to have very polarizing mood swings toward her.

Riley drew her legs up to her chest, questioning her choices that had brought her to this bathroom floor at this point and time.

She was beginning to wonder if she should've ever left the backwoods of North Carolina; if she had ever left the less-than-gentle hands of her mother and step-father.

_So much for ambition and dreaming big.  
_

* * *

**I'll be checking spelling/grammar/logic errors regularly, but if you see something major, just point it out in a review or PM. I'll fix it as soon as possible.  
**

I also realize this story is starting off very slowly, but it is intentional. I have a lot planned for Tony, Pepper, and Riley, and just diving in would not do this story justice.

This is also a sort of prequel to Full Circle as well, so Amy will be showing up in the not too terribly distant future. :)

Let me know what you think!  
xBreeze


	4. Misjudging

**Aaand I updated. And it didn't take a million years. Yay!**

**Special thanks to ElektraMackenzie, aaroniteXkryptonite, bigbangnerd, maddieclaybourne, babydake93, and Frostivy for reviewing! I really appreciate it, guys! I really hope you like this one as well. :)**

* * *

Riley made a stealthy exit out of the bathroom she'd been occupying for quite some time, wanting to avoid as many people as possible.

Her previous panic attack was now officially the _least_ of her problems.

_After her breathing became somewhat regulated and the replays of the confrontation with her boss had subsided, the thoughts of Pepper's stern warning came rushing back into her head. Needless to say, the petite young woman had not been able to fight the bile rising in her throat._

_Some time later Riley had finally willed herself to stop dry heaving. She slowly, reluctantly picked herself up off the floor. She did not want to deal with anyone, nor let them see the sorry state she was surely in. The young woman made her way over to a sink, wanting to rinse her mouth out and splash her face with some cold water._

_The blonde glanced up at herself in the mirror, frowning. She looked much worse than she thought, with her dark circles now shining through faded makeup and the generally worn look about her very obvious. This was precisely why she hated mirrors. They were a harsh reminder of of just how unsavory reality could be. As Riley slipped her glasses off to polish the smudgy lenses, she couldn't help but glare at the haggard image in the mirror as well as the vanity in general._

_"You're such a fuck up." The words were directed towards her reflection. "Such a fucking mess." She shook her head as she looked down, using the hem of her rumpled blouse to clean the glasses, and sighed in defeat._

_The blonde would have left it at that, but today seemed as if it were going to be some kind of test for her. Had she paid a little more attention, she would have noticed the small crack in the mirror that got larger the angrier she got._

_Riley didn't even see the crack until it was too late. By the time she slipped on her glasses and stepped away from the counter, the silence of the bathroom was interrupted by a loud shattering sound. The young woman jerked her head back toward the mirror, her face taking on a look of wide-eyed surprise at the sight in front of her. The large wall mirror had broken into what looked like thousands of pieces, littering the bathroom with the shards._

_Surrounded by glittering shards and not sure of what else to do, the blonde quickly turned on her heel and fled from the safety of the bathroom, intent on putting as much distance between her and the broken mirror as possible._

_She really needed to get her little "talent" in check._

* * *

Feeling his headache growing worse by the minute, Tony walked with haste toward the garage; toward his baby - his precious Audi.

Well, _one_ of his Audis.

Anyway.

Oh, how he longed for the days when Pepper headed up Stark Industries as CEO, freeing him to do whatever his heart desired, when he desired it.

The genius suddenly found himself smirking at the distant memory of Monaco. That being said, as he made his way down the hall, he couldn't help but look at the door of the redhead's vacant office, smirk now falling flat.

_How did things end up like this?_

Tony found himself placing a hand on one of the glossy wooden doors to the office, finding little peace in the nostalgia the notion brought.

Pepper had been with him for so long. She'd practically been in this company as long as he had, from the secretary pool straight up to the top.

She had drive, fierce determination ever-present in her eyes.

He'd always loved that about Virginia Potts.

_Maybe he'd just duck in for a moment..._

He would not do that, however. Tony's pleasant thoughts of a past that was no more were interrupted by the door to the office opening, revealing a disheveled looking Elizabeth Andres.

_Ah, the antithesis of his current thoughts, personified._

Still, Tony was surprised to see her in Pepper's office, and the look on the blonde's face made it clear that the feeling was mutual.

"Mr. Stark...I was- I was just getting some work done before I leave." She adjusted her slightly crooked glasses, actively trying to avoid eye contact with the genius. "I don't really have an office of my own and I-"

Tony opened his mouth to say something witty, but held his tongue as he looked at the blonde critically. She was a mess, to put it nicely. Wild stands of hair poked out from every direction of her once neat bun. Her clothes were not in much better condition. From what he did catch of the blonde's gaze, her blue eyes were bloodshot. The blackish-blue dark circles did not help, either.

For a brief moment, he felt a pang of genuine sympathy for the girl. She looked to be run ragged and almost painfully exhausted. Any notion he had to fire off a quip or two in teasing at his current assistant went out the window upon seeing her.

"It's fine, Ms. Andres." He said it with a sigh, hoping she'd relax a little. The lithe young woman's personality put him on edge. "I'm just headed out. Don't think I can take much more of this place...too stifling."

Well...it _was_ honest. Work made him miserable. But work without Pepper? It was _unbearable._

Riley fidgeted slightly, before finally forcing herself to speak. "I..I have your tentative schedule for next month, if you'd like to see it before I send it to you."

Tony sighed, not really caring enough to look but at the same time not wanting to cause the girl any more grief for today. "Sure." He tried to sound as enthused as possible, which wasn't very much. Not wanting to waste his time, Riley quickly grabbed her tablet off the desk and made the move to hand it to him. She could easily tell that her boss didn't care and that he was probably getting irritated with her, but she had to show him.

She was going to make sure he was aware of his appointments from now on if it killed her.

Riley didn't think she could handle another lecture from a severely angry Pepper, ever.

Call him eccentric or even obsessive compulsive, but Tony really didn't like being handed things. It wasn't so much the fear of germs that caused the odd social tic (though they were a factor in a lot of cases), he just did not like being literally handed more responsibility. Still, the super hero grit his teeth this once, taking the tablet out of the blonde's hands with the intent to skim it as quickly as possible and leave. Everything would just end up in JARVIS' system, anyway.

However, something else caught his eye. As Riley began to retract her hands and clasp them together, Tony could not help but notice her palms. They were riddled with very thin, white scars that were almost too fine to be visible. With Riley's tan skin, though, he was able to see the faint little lines decently enough once he started looking for them. There were so many, Tony felt compelled to ask about them.

...And he wasn't very subtle about doing so, either.

"What's with your hands?" So much for not trying to corner the timid woman.

It got Riley's attention, however. Her head snapped up, eyes wide and staring at her boss. The young assistant tried to play the reaction down, albeit badly.

"I uh...I'm sorry, what?"

Tony looked back at her, eyebrow raised at her abnormal reaction. He casually scrolled through the pictures and notes on the tablet while he waited for an answer, trying in vain to see if there was something that would give him some insight to this woman. "Those little white marks on your hands. How'd you get them?"

Riley tried to play down the question, but in all actuality, her mind was racing to try and find a believable lie. She tightly clasped her hands together in the process in an attempt to hide the marks. Out of sight, out of mind, after all.

"I...I work in Dr. Reichmann's lab a lot, sir. Accidents happen. I'm clumsy and I tend to drop things quite often..." There was more truth to that statement than she'd like to admit.

Did she really think he was that stupid? Tony knew Reichmann made all of his staff wear insulated gloves in the lab. He'd seen it first hand. But, he decided to ignore for now it in favor of expanding on the more interesting information in that statement. "Again with the formalities." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms after setting the tablet down. "You said you worked for Dr. Reichmann? I thought you were from the secretary pool." Tony paused, mid-thought. "Actually, I was pretty sure that was where Pepper had gotten you from." He was genuinely surprised at the little factoid. His assistant really didn't look like the type for research and development. It was another 'dumb blonde' stereotype, true, but he really couldn't help it.

Riley shook her head. "Oh, no sir,-"

"Tony. Just Tony, please." He really couldn't take all the 'sir' and 'Mr.' titles anymore.

The blonde's cheeks flushed and she looked toward the floor. "Er...no, Tony," She said the name slowly and carefully. It felt wrong addressing a superior so casually. "Ms. Potts procured me from R&D. I'm sure she wishes she had gotten me from the pool, though."

Now he was really interested. "Why do you say that?"

Riley bit her lip, not really wanting to say anything about her earlier meeting with Pepper or why the redhead was so upset. "Oh, I just think it would have saved her time. Less having to check up on me, or tell me that I'm not up to par with what she expects from me."

"What she expects" He used air quotes with the last word, finding the wording a little ridiculous. "in regards to...?"

Riley bit her lip, really wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. "In regards to making sure you show up to appointments and what needs to change with me."

To Tony, that was a huge twist in the story. He'd been so sure Pepper and the young woman in front of him were a lot closer than what they were in reality. At the very least, he thought Pepper treated the blonde as an equal, not as an extension of herself. He frowned at how positively awkward and uncomfortable the blonde looked, standing there with her gaze down and her shoulders shrugged. "Is that why Pepper was here today?"

Riley nodded slowly. "Y-yes. I feel really bad about it. She should be planning her wedding," Tony glared at the mention of 'wedding'. "not dealing with me and my shortcomings. I offered to find a replacement for you and return to R&D, but she didn't want to be bothered with the paperwork."

So _that's_ what the redhead had been angry about earlier. Tony had been curious, but her voice was too muffled to make anything out. He'd heard her getting upset in her office earlier when he went to stop in, but since there was no yelling back, he'd assumed it had to do with planning for her..._special_ day.

_He couldn't say that word._

His former lover had left without so much as a 'hello' to the genius, which had royally pissed him off. That anger got taken out on Riley in the elevator. Now, knowing that Pepper had went off on Ms. Andres beforehand over _him_ and business did not sit well with the CEO, at all. It wasn't like the blonde didn't try, and deep down, Tony knew that. What bothered him even more was the blonde's suggestion at a replacement. The lack of fight in her was almost disturbing to Tony. He had no real attachment to the blonde, that was true, but another replacement would just serve to make him more irritable. Besides, she hadn't done anything to warrant a replacement to begin with.

He needed to drop the subject for now, before he got angry over the entire situation again. The absolute _last_ thing Tony wanted right now was another elevator incident. He needed to get out of there as soon as possible, but he intended to find out more about the strange young woman.

"Do you need a ride home?" The question was out of the blue, but Tony really wouldn't have minded taking her home.

Riley's cheeks tinged pink. "Oh, no, thank you." It would have saved her cab fare, as she didn't own a car, but to her it was imposing and Dr. Reichmann needed her in the lab tonight. Plus, being in a confined space with Tony Stark again was _not_ something she wanted to repeat so soon. "I'm actually going to be here for awhile and I'd hate to hold you up. I really appreciate it, though."

Tony was completely thrown off by the turn down, and would have probably done a spit take had he been drinking, but managed to smooth it over. He simply turned around and left, looking back at the blonde over his shoulder. "Alright, then. I'll see you around. Maybe next time."

Was he _that_ repulsive?

"Y-yeah. Have a good afternoon...T-Tony." His name felt forced, but he grinned regardless.

Maybe he'd get through to her, one day.

* * *

Sighing in frustration, Tony tossed the wrench out from under the classic hot rod he'd continuously put off any sort of maintenance on. Rolling out from under the car on his creeper in (temporary) defeat, the genius grabbed an oil rag and stood, intending on making a drink for himself.

Yes, that seemed to be the quick fix for everything as of late. Still, it didn't help to answer any of the questions Ms. Andres had brought up in his mind earlier that day.

"Pepper had no right to lay into Ms. Andres." He muttered to himself, looking for a clean glass. That whole situation still bothered him. "It wasn't her fault I was late to that meeting."

"Sir, I believe you didn't show up at all." Of course, JARVIS would throw in his two cents. Tony was beginning to regret that last upgrade to allow the AI to be more free-thinking.

The genius rolled his eyes. "There's a difference between no-showing and being...what...four hours behind schedule?"

_Oh._

Okay, it was worse than he'd thought.

"It was the first item on your schedule for that day, sir." The reply was cool and even, as always. He could have sworn there was a minute amount of sarcasm in there, though.

Not wanting to admit any wrongdoing, Tony let out an audible huff. "You're supposed to be on _my_ side." He poured his whiskey, taking comfort in the way the amber liquid trickled against the ice. "But that's not the point. Ms. Andres had nothing to do with this, in any way. Putting blame on her isn't fair."

"I'm sure Ms. Potts had the best interest of both you and the company in mind."

And that was all that it took to set Tony off.

"Pepper hasn't even set foot in this place in almost two months before today, let alone talk to me on a _personal, friendly_ level. It's really not her fucking place anymore, I'd think." Tony's voice was positively dripping with sarcasm before he tossed the drink back and slammed the glass on the counter. The fact of the matter was that Pepper's tendency to think she was the puppeteer pulling all the strings, including his, was beginning to irk him to no end, especially when she wasn't even here...

_With him._

He ran his free hand over his face in frustration; in pent up anger.

"_My_ company, _my_ payroll, _my_ assistant." He paused, catching his breath and realizing how much of petulant child he really did sound like. "Anyway..." It was more than time to change the subject and take his mind off of everything. "You have a profile on Ms. Andres ready?"

"Indeed, sir. But I must ask, do you think this is morally sound?"

The AI definitely had a point, JARVIS always did, but curiosity still had gotten the better of Tony. Ms. Andres, as a whole, was ultimately nothing special to him. She was a cute face that was forgettable among a sea of beautiful ones, but there was just something about the entire persona she was hiding and the little bit of mystery it put around her (for him, anyway). The fact that she hadn't flung herself at him, especially knowing he was single, had thrown him off of his game. On top of that, the second fact that she was very likely afraid of him, or at least who he was, bothered him more than he'd like to admit.

There was also the small possibility that her entire persona was an elaborate act, all in the name of 'good' journalism. Tony still hadn't completely dismissed that notion, either.

Regardless, it would not be inaacurate to say that her personality didn't irk him from time to time as well. While it piqued his interest, definitely, there was no place for the meek and mild in his world _or_ the real world. Ms. Andres had little chance of ever succeeding with how easy she was to walk over. Didn't she know that?

"Before I open the file, sir, I must warn you that-"

"Yeah, yeah invasion of privacy and all that... but if _she's_ going to be my assistant, I have a right to know something about her. She's certainly not going to open up...not to me at least. I'm pretty sure I've already botched that."

"But sir, that's not the problem."

Tony sighed. "Just open it."

Even though he spoke with a tone of heavily feigned exasperation, Tony knew his excuse for prying was half-hearted and mostly bullshit. Had it been almost anyone else, he'd have had no problem being so...invasive.

But...with how intensely shy and introverted this girl was, Tony would be lying if he said he didn't feel a little guilty about the whole situation. He wasn't even totally sure the girl's name was Riley, too distracted by Pepper that first day to even care, and continued to refer to the blonde by her surname.

...On that note, no wonder the blonde seemed to actively avoid any type of real conversation with him, among other reasons.

Tony shook the thought. He hadn't been _that_ terrible to her, had he?

He wasn't even going to go there.

He walked over to the holographic display JARVIS was emitting, taking his time looking it over while sipping on his drink. A look at her full name caused a small smile to grace his lips.

"Elizabeth...Lizzy. I like it. It suits her." He was rambling. His guess about her name being Riley was correct, but it didn't suit her. Too boyish and modern. Elizabeth was much more fitting, given that Ms. Andres gave off the very opposite vibes of the former descriptors.

_Elizabeth had been his mother's middle name as well._

As he continued on, the more information that passed his eyes, the higher his brows rose in surprise. He would've never pegged her to be quite so young and working in such a prestigious lab in R&D. She was almost twelve years his junior. However, it wasn't that she looked older than twenty-five (she could have actually passed for a little younger in his eyes), but there was just no life to the girl. Tony also found her education impressive. Very impressive. But that begged the question: why didn't she ever flaunt it? She'd just let him assume she was a ditzy, lowly little secretary from the pool for the longest time. He was pretty sure he'd even made teased her about her intelligence a few times.

Okay, much more than just a few times.

...And with that, Tony realized his thoughts were probably making his case with this girl worse. They weren't helping, to say the least.

He finally shook his head, coming out of his musings over the new information. "What else have you got?"

When there was no response from the AI, Tony cleared his throat. "JARVIS? Come on already."

"That is all of the public records available for Elizabeth Andres, sir. All other records are sealed."

Tony's nose wrinkled. Something was incredibly off with her, that was obvious, but he was sure it was worse than he'd previously thought now. What normal, healthy female had a need to do that?

"That was what I was trying warn you about, sir. That is all I can legally acquire at the moment without further permission from you to conduct my own investigation or legal approval. Ms. Andres had her personal records sealed after she was no longer a ward of the state of North Carolina."

...And the mystery just became even more complex. And he found himself wanting to be Sherlock Holmes the further he got into it.

"Foster parents?" He crossed his arms and began chewing his bottom lip in thought.

"No, sir. Her eighteenth birthday passed and she entered university."

Tony sucked in a breath, nodding in slow acceptance of the information and trying to ignore the guilt creeping into his bones. "But...she has to have someone, right?"

"She has no family contact on any record for Stark Industries."

Things were starting to make more sense quickly, but there were still unexplainable holes in this woman's story that Tony found himself wanting to fill. However, now was not the time nor place. If he truly wanted to find out what made Elizabeth tick, then he'd need a damn good plan.

She'd be his little side project.

But, now was not the time.

Curiosity killed Tony Stark, but the Mark VII needed a test run.

* * *

Riley dropped her keys onto the table by the front door of her apartment with a loud thunk, releasing a heavy sigh. She was finally home, at long last. Her seemingly endless day had finally come to a close.

The blonde flipped on the light switch, and glanced around the small living room in the equally small apartment out of habit to see if things were in order. White walls and hardwood floors did not add any warmth to the place. Combined with the lack of pictures and personal touches, the entire place seemed incredibly sterile. However, the one thing that stood out in the apartment was the large vase of blue _dendrobium_ on the table in front of the couch. Riley did not own a television, preferring to read more than anything, so the flowers served as a relaxing focal point to the young woman.

It didn't matter how the place looked, though. Her apartment was a stable roof over her head, and it was home.

And that's all that really mattered.

The blonde made her way over to one of the arm chairs in the living room, easing herself down against the plush material. After slowly removing her flats from of her sore feet with a loud hiss, Riley carefully leaned back against the chair, mindful of her aching back. She looked up through the skylights in her apartment, taking comfort in the stars above.

Riley had always loved watching the stars, ever since she was a small child. The twinkling lights provided comfort; a warm embrace that she hadn't had from any person in this world.

The young woman actually smiled when a highly visible shooting star flew by, admiring the flashes of red and gold in the brief seconds she could see it. It was odd for a shooting star to be so close and so vibrant, but she was still entranced by it.

On a whim, Riley closed her eyes, only wishing to one day find her place in the world.

_If she only knew_.

* * *

I know Tony's mother's middle name is 'Collins' in the comics, but I couldn't resist a little tweaking. So sue me. DX

I'm working on Amy's grand entrance now. I hope you guys read and review, I'd love to hear from you! Reviews keep me going! ***Reviews also let me know if you all want to see more, and will make me update quicker***

xBreeze

_**P.S. I've been asked this a few times, so I'll restate it here. All three of my OC stories are linked, even if it doesn't seem like it right now. **_**They will be. So if you like my OC's, be sure to check them all out!  
**


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